


the boy we share

by 100rings



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Conversations, Love Confessions, M/M, Other, SURE. OK, and this is the product of that. hit it!, bonding over caleb, this is almost 2 years old and i only watched 17 episodes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23917687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100rings/pseuds/100rings
Summary: Nott’s eyebrows furrowed. She looked down at her flask as if trying to phone a friend for advice on a brain tickler. When Mollymauk was about to explain himself, a smile already drew open to talk, then her head shot up, and in a yelling whisper Nott asked,”You like fantasy Danny DeVito too?!”“No, no-” Mollymauk answered, unfazed if not a little bit surprised. “well, yes, of course, but not who I’m talking about. Try again.”His eyes flicked up and he looked like he was silently scanning for a target. Nott watched detailed-less eyes very subtly shift from tavern patron to tavern patron. After a bit, she had convinced herself she could see a pupil in his bloody sea of eyes.“Here’s a hint;” he said after only a nibble of a second. he nodded over towards someone behind Nott. “we share a boy.”
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 3
Kudos: 91





	the boy we share

**Author's Note:**

> yeah so, only 17 episodes, i know they're fucking gay, mollymauk isn't dead. i wrote this a while ago but it feels nice to post something. I'm working on personal writing mostly at the moment, but if any of you want to talk about requests (short little "one-shots" and whatnot) or commissions, my tumblr is keywhole and my messages are always open!

“You know,” Mollymauk purred, shifting his weight onto his other arm so that he was closer to Nott, “there’s something you and me have in common that I don’t think we’ve discussed.”

“What?” Nott garbled, asking halfway between swallowing her drink. Of course, though, Mollymauk was unbothered. He simply tutted, as if he couldn’t stand Nott for not knowing what he was talking about, but he also found it kind of charming. enough for him to put his arm over her shoulders like she was another carnival-goer that was about to receive a deal for reading that he just could not turn down.

After humming on it, Mollymauk decided on a thought. “I’ll call it- a mutual appreciation for each other’s affection towards a mutual friend.”

Nott’s eyebrows furrowed. She looked down at her flask as if trying to phone a friend for advice on a brain tickler. When Mollymauk was about to explain himself, a smile already drew open to talk, then her head shot up, and in a yelling whisper Nott asked, ” _ You like fantasy Danny DeVito too?!” _

“No, no-” Mollymauk answered, unfazed if not a little bit surprised. “well, yes, of course, but not who I’m talking about. Try again.”

His eyes flicked up and he looked like he was silently scanning for a target. Nott watched detailed-less eyes very subtly shift from tavern patron to tavern patron. After a bit, she had convinced herself she could see a pupil in his bloody sea of eyes.

“Here’s a hint;” he said after only a nibble of a second. he nodded over towards someone behind Nott. “we share a boy.”

For a moment she seemed incredibly confused. Wasn’t that what they were talking about before? It was like being told the answer wasn’t B, but the answer turned out to be B. Very odd. Then, when she scooted around to see that Caleb was the one he was referencing to, just down the bar in a corner with the things they’d collected from their little adventure just hours before. Unlike when Mollymauk had seen him, Caleb seemed to just know she was looking at him. His eyes picked up from the stone he was inspecting and connected with her sight, and it was like his chill pill kicked in for just a moment. His eyebrows fell from a furrow to something comfortable, shoulders visibly relaxed, and he smiled at her. She smiled back and gave a little wave, and it must’ve been a silent question because Caleb gave a small nod back. Nott smiled more and nodded too, and Caleb turned back to his work. She kept her eyes on him a little bit longer, though, just to make sure.

“Oh,” she said without turning back to Mollymauk. He knew she got it.

With that, he patted her shoulder and laughed. He went back to how he was sitting before, finishing off the finest of shit beers, and rested his cheek on his hand. When Nott  _ did _ turn back to him, she squinted and decided his gaze was still fixed on the person behind her and not her. That made her feel better for many reasons.

“He is something else,” he said under his breath, distantly. Nott would've jumped the table to go at him if he hadn’t said it in the fondest voice. “How could he concentrate on something like that in one of the busiest rooms there is?”

“Caleb has a very special talent when it comes to books,” Nott answered quite simply. She was still squinting at him, trying to see if she could see Caleb's reflection in the red. “Sometimes when he’s in a loud room like this, he can do nothing but hear the noise to the point of too much. But when it comes to magic or reading, it’s like he can turn it all off just like  _ that _ ,” and she snaps her fingers after a few times trying, “and it’s like he’s in a different room.”

And she leans in a little closer to him, already pretty close from trying to see through his eyes. She puts a hand up as if to shield her mouth from anyone else who may be watching or listening, though her whisper isn’t exactly quiet. 

“But between you and me, I think it’s some spell that lets him go off into some different place but keep the illusion that he’s still there. Some sort of- some sort of illegal magics, if you will.”

“Oh, most definitely,” Mollymauk replied, “but don’t let him know we know. Let him have his fun, being sneaky and all.”

After a moment of silence, he finally looked away from his love. Only to be met with by a huge, scraggly smile in the shade of a flipped-up mask. She was grinning like there was a joke Molly wasn’t in on. This made Mollymauk grin, too, because those were always the best ones.

Mollymauk tilted his head and asked, “What?”

“Oh, nothing,” Nott sang, the way girls too when they’re trying to hide their pride when a dumb boy does something good, but also not trying at all. She reached for her flask as she deserved it. Then, with it about to be at her mouth, her eyes drift over to the tiefling with joy and say, “You just passed my test, is all.”

Honor hit Mollymauk like a sword to the chest.

“Your test was making sure I’d let Caleb have fun while pretending he was deceiving when performing illegal activities?”

“Yes!” she cheered. Then after a second, she put her hands down. “Well... kinda.”

Mollymauk raises his eyebrows and gestures her to keep going. 

Nott ponders. She picks up her flask but doesn’t drink from it. Simply sloshes it side to side, as if it helped her think. Mollymauk was beginning to think that it does. 

“If Caleb had ever perfected a spell like that, and nobody seemed any the wiser, he’d be very impressed with himself. So why tell him and make him upset?” Nott looked up from the other Nott in the reflection of the cap. “He needs to feel proud of himself more anyway.”

“That was quite a lot to pick up from one little joke, and I’m completely convinced you thought of all of that on the spot.”

“Anyways!” Nott shouted just almost a little too loud but didn’t take time to notice. “Why bring this up now, huh? We've all sort of know you and Caleb were a “thing” for a couple of weeks, you didn’t have to tell anyone to-“

“No, I know that,” Molly interjected. “he gave me hell when Beau awkwardly brought it up with him last week, I don’t hide anything, I’m aware.”

That also made Nott grin. Mollymauk continued.

“I just thought it was worth mentioning to you privately, though I know he has with you already.” He didn’t know, for sure, but knowing Caleb he would’ve. And judging by how Nott was unaffected at the statement, he wasn’t wrong. “I care about him very much, and thus I care about you as well. I appreciate how much you do for him. He’s very lucky to have you.”

Nott seemed... suspicious. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she didn’t take her sight off of him as she unscrewed the cap. Slowly, she nodded, finally getting all that he meant, or what he was actually seeking here. She took a swig. He carried on while she drank.

“And that I am in no way trying to break any bonds you two have, in case there were any concerns or worries about that. You’re Caleb's world, and I know he’s your everything. I’m not here to take him away from you. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do, Caleb would’ve known that’s what you were trying to do from the beginning. He would’ve told me, and we would’ve to spit in your food, and-“

“Hey, keep the plan to yourself, we can do it to Fjord later. He’s been making me sleep on the harder mattress as of late.”

Nott gave a hurried nod and put her now empty flask on the counter. She’d get it filled up in a second. Mollymauk's finger began to trace his empty cup in anticipation. If she was waiting to fill her drink up for this, it was gonna be a long one. Here it was- the show Molly had come for.

“And I appreciate everything you’ve done for him as well. Caleb has...” She doesn’t necessarily deflate, she just buffers, reorganizing her words while her eyes drift for a moment. She speaks before they’re back. “... a hard time, with people. Himself included. To see him get close enough to someone like this, especially when it’s someone like that, like you-“ the way she says it is different than how Molly usually receives it, almost like she’s telling him he’s a good influence, “- That makes him happy.”

Her eyes are off again, for a little bit longer this time. Mollymauk almost responds before he can feel her hand on his.

“So thank you,” she says once she’s back. 

Mollymauk gives a bright smile, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Same to you, my dear.” He keeps his answer short because he knew she wasn’t finished. 

“But,” Molly pretends to be caught off guard but nods nonetheless. Nott leaned in more, held his hand more tightly almost to the point of claws threaten nails. Okay, she means business. She wasn’t pulling any knives, so he decided he was doing well so far. “if anything happens, and you hurt Caleb, or I think you’re using him or anything of that flavor, I will get him out of there so fast. And I won't care much about what happens with you.”

“I would expect nothing less,” he said, almost proud to declare it. Nott gave him a good pat on the arm. A real solid pat.

“You’re-“ she smiled. “you’re a good man.”

“Thank you, I try.”

Then, he ordered them another drink.

**Author's Note:**

> keywhole - tumblr  
> tearohcard - twit  
> frightfulsite - insta


End file.
